married
The most important four words for a successful marriage: 'I'll do the dishes.'
By the Book
“Six months, nine at most,” said Dr. Shelley, as Claire sunk even further in her chair. “Not exactly what I expected to hear doc,” replied Claire, as she gathered her purse, along with the brochures Dr. Shelley had given her moments before. “I’m sorry Claire, but at this stage in the game I’d suggest considering hospice. I think it’s time to let your family know what is going on with you.” “Thanks doc,” replied Claire, as she walked out of the office door. Claire had known that her cancer had progressed, but she had no idea it was as advanced as she had just heard. As she drove away from the doctor’s office, she started to reflect on her life. All her life, she had lived by the book: completing college at 21, marrying her high school sweetheart, having two kids, and working in her community. She had lived an ordinary life and had not bent the rules in any way. She started to think about her husband, who had died two years earlier from Alzheimer’s. She started to think about the time they spent together, and how they had worked together in the medical field: he being a pediatric doctor, while she was a nurse. They had never spent more than a night apart from each other, and always sacrificed for their kids. They decided not to go on their honeymoon in order to save money for their daughter’s braces. They had never taken a vacation and had never traveled outside of their hometown. Claire started to think about all that she wished she had done over the course of her life and now that it was coming to an end, she felt a surge of regret and anger. As she pulled into her driveway, she could not help but to be upset; upset with herself for not living. Upset with the fact that she had lived an ordinary life. As she tossed her purse on the couch, the hospice brochures Dr. Shelley had given her spilled out. Seeing those brochures made her even angrier. What was she supposed to do? Curl up and die? Was she supposed to sit and wait for death to come to her? How would she tell her children that she had less than a year to live? As she started to question her next move, she looked over to the coffee table and stared at the picture of her husband. She thought to herself that if he were here, he would know what to do. He would know just how to calm her. He always tended to know exactly what she needed when she needed it. She decided to fix herself a cup of coffee and look through her husband’s old pictures and letters. She put on the coffee pot and went into the closet in the bedroom to retrieve his old belongings. She had always kept his belongings close to her because they gave her comfort. She felt like he was near when she would read his old letters. After fixing her cup of coffee, she brought the box of his letters into the living room. As she read each letter, she could hear him saying the words to her. One of her favorite letters to read were his wedding vows. He said to her “Till death do us part and even then, we won’t be apart, for I will always be with you.” As she stared at that sentence, she noticed something in the box. It was a small black notebook. “I’ve never seen this before,” she thought to herself as she picked up the notebook. Inside of the notebook were pictures of her; pictures when she was sleeping, cooking, reading, and laughing. She had never seen these picture before. She had no idea of when these could have been taken or by whom. She flipped through the notebook and noticed that each picture had a caption. “Eating her heart out,” read one, while she was eating spaghetti. “All fun and games” was another, capturing when she was laughing at a tv show. At the end of the notebook was a letter. She felt confused, as she thought she had read all her husband’s letters before. This was dated January 3rd, 2019, the day her husband entered hospice care.
By Cherronica Ormond 5 years ago in Families
The Time Capsule
Jo ran her hand over the dusty box that she had placed on the kitchen table in front of them. She smiled as she read the words: DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2020. She had written those words with a red marker. Today was their twentieth wedding anniversary, and twenty years ago, she had contrived the idea of making a time capsule, to be opened on this day.
By Jacqueline Brockert5 years ago in Families
The Baker and the Witch
Chapter one “Thank you miss, have a good evening.” A male customer smiled widely at Serena as he wheeled his grocery cart away from her. “You do the same.” She reluctantly retreated to the store’s bakery where she worked. The young woman finished cleaning up, flicked off the fluorescent lights, then headed up front to clock out and go home for the night. Forcing a smile and a courteous manner was very draining on her, it wasn’t that she was incapable of smiling and being friendly to people it was just her current state of mind. Serena has dealt with struggles and mental illness for most of her life and there’s only so long you can stay strong externally.
By Amber Henninger5 years ago in Families
My Little Black Book: from the Little Black Book Angel
Recently I went to a local bookstore to pick up a small notebook to keep the contact information in and passwords for use on my computer. I keep forgetting them and needed a way that I could retrieve them when necessary. I was now mostly at home…with three kids not in school and an angry husband who’d also lost his job. Since that time, he’d become more angry and aggressive than usual and began verbally abusing the kids and me. But, now he was physically abusing me in front of the kids. It scared them…and me. I began trying to escape…but he had a watchful grip on me. I was also sporting a recent black eye and some facial bruises I tried to disguise with makeup.
By Jennifer Spencer5 years ago in Families
The Freckled Indian
Today marks the day one month after my grandma died and three weeks after my grandpa died. My grandma died just one week after my grandpa from a heart attack. The doctors say that her body might have given up due to the stress from the death of my grandpa. She loved him so much that her body simple would not let her live without him. My brother Aloo and I decided to go through their attic today.
By Miranda Mandadi Laxman5 years ago in Families
The Baker and the Witch
“Thank you miss, have a good evening.” A male customer smiled widely at Serena as he wheeled his grocery cart away from her. “You do the same.” She reluctantly retreated to the store’s bakery where she worked. The young woman finished cleaning up, flicked off the fluorescent lights, then headed up front to clock out and go home for the night. Forcing a smile and a courteous manner was very draining on her, it wasn’t that she was incapable of smiling and being friendly to people it was just her current state of mind. Serena has dealt with struggles and mental illness for most of her life and there’s only so long you can stay strong externally. As she started up her frosty cold car her mind swirled with worries and narratives from her day. She found herself feeling more and more resentful toward her coworkers and managers, but it wasn’t their fault, they’re all just pawns in the game like she was. This “real world” was too much for her, her soul yearned to travel, find refuge in nature and be free. Yet she felt incredibly stuck and like her dreams were a childlike fantasy. She drove home on autopilot, too distracted by her suffering to pay much attention to the repetitive details of her daily commute. As she shut her black car door, she noticed the bright shining reflection of the moon in the car paint. She turned around to look up at it. The moon had always brought her comfort, something about it felt very nurturing and safe. Serena could tell the moon all of her secrets, hopes and dreams and she would feel heard and understood in its silent presence. “Thank you for being there beautiful.” She smiled softly and felt at peace, her racing mind ceased, and a calm came over her body. With a sigh of relief, she headed up the stairs to her front door. Upstairs her family was warm and cozy playing video games. “Mommy!” a little boy set down the Xbox controller and ran up to serena with outstretched arms. “My big man! Did you have a good day?!” her face lit up and she embraced her son. “Yeah! Race!” he pulled her over to the desk where he was gaming. “You’re racing Emmie? Are you winning?” she joked, bending down to give her wife a big kiss and hug. Serena’s home life was the best it had ever been she was so blessed to have a loving partner and son, a warm home with plenty of food and entertainment to be had. And yet Serena and her wife Emily were barely scraping by and felt burnt out on the daily. They wondered together how other adults managed to live such full and rich lives, we’re making the most money we’ve ever earned and yet still living paycheck to paycheck. They were optimistic that together they could accomplish anything despite their hardships. That night they lay in bed together talking and cuddling. Emily turned to Serena and said, “If $20,000 fell from the sky tomorrow I would pay off my car loan and we would have so much more money to put into savings for our first home!” she giggled. Serena turned to Emily. “Okay, sounds good let’s do it!” she said with seriousness. She sat up in the dim light of their bedroom, “We already have that money. We already have our home. What we speak comes into existence.” Serena said matter of fact. “I read that if you say things like they’re already done that it can manifest it into existence. “Alright then. We paid off my car loan, saved up enough money to buy a house and property and are planning a trip to another country.” Emily said with a smirk and laced her fingers resting them on her abdomen. Serena gave her wife a warm smile and kissed her forehead before turning the light off for the night. “Sweet dreams.” They sweetly kissed goodnight.
By Amber Henninger5 years ago in Families
Marriage Rules of Engagement: Some Can Play More Than Others
Like most young girls, I went through my Prince Charming phase. I dreamed of the day some handsome, dream-worthy specimen would swoop in and carry me away for a royal wedding, and I would rule my kingdom. Fair but just (eye twinkle).
By Musing Around5 years ago in Families
Little black book
As the taxi pulled up to the house I was flooded with memories. This was only the 2nd time I had been here and yet it was connected to so much of my life. My past and now my future. The last time I was here was before I was married. My fiancé had brought me here for dinner and to meet his mother. Dinner was quiet, almost void of emotion. David had done most of the talking and it was about him more than anyone else. I was nervous and proud of him and so was glad he had taken control as it made it easier on me. I thought he had done so to be kind to me. After the meal I helped take dishes into the kitchen. We were alone and she said to me “don’t marry him. No one deserves that kind of cruelty” just then David came into the kitchen saying we had to leave and I wasn’t able to say anything to her. I thought all the way home ‘why would she stay such a thing? She doesn't even know me and nothing was said at dinner to make her think I was a horrible person’ Did David say something before about me to make her think I was so horrible for him?’ I asked him why his mother didn’t like me and he said, “oh I am sorry she gave you that impression. She has always been a difficult person. I don’t think she likes anyone. She doesn’t even have any close friends that I know of. She seems to push everyone away.” She came to the wedding but only for the service and didn’t stay for the reception. she never smiled once that I can remember and even the few pictures taken of her she wasn’t smiling. So I didn’t mind that my husband let me stay home when he went to visit her or deal with things for her.
By Gina Solomon5 years ago in Families
